Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-11-18
THE EXECUTION.
Remarkable Fortitude of the Men
Their Last Words.

Remarkable Fortitude of the Men
Their Last Words.
The deputies stepped up and bound the
arms of the condemned. Spies came first
into view, then came Fischer, next Engcl
and Parsons last. They walk steadily and
without support. The four men were then
placed upon the trap. All were pale. There
was moment of deathlike stiffness. Then
clear and distinct came the voice of Spies.
His form Strengthened up. The muslin
seemed to move in harmony with his lips.
"Our silence is more powerful than
speech he said.
Silence again prevailed for second. Then,
in a round, full voice, Shout "Hurrah for
Anarchy" was heard 1t came from Engel.
Another pause was broken by the voice of
Fischer. "This is the happiest moment of
my life" he said.
Then the clear, we'll modulated voice of
Parsons broke the oppressive stiffness There
was a rising infection in his voice, not SO
much of pleading as of demand.
''Let me speak, Sheriff Matson," he said.
"Let the voice of the people be heard" and
just then the drop fell
The last words of Parsons died upon his
lips.
The four bodies swung in the air for mo-
ment without tremor. The drop fell at 11.54
From the first step of Spies upon the scaffold
until the cutting of the rope precisely six
minutes and three seconds had elapsed
Every eye was riveted upon the body of
Spies. The arch Anarchist was dying hard I;
his legs and arms moved convulsively, with
extraordinary rapidity. 1t was as though he
was alive and conscious and struggling to free
himself from the cords that bound him. His
whole frame was agitated by quivering
tremor
Low groans of horror came from many
lips and the expression, Hes dying hard"
was heard on all sides. This continued for
over minute, an hour it seemed to be, and
then the struggles grew fainter and fainter
until they finally ceased.
The bodies of Engel and Fischer were mo.
tionless for moment after the drop, save
for the swinging to and fro. Then Fischers
legs drew up and down, and there was a
convulsive movement in his arms. EngelS
struggles were brief
Parsons alone died as though his heart had
been pierced by bullet He came down
like a log There was not lurch, not a
single contraction of the muscles. His neck
had been broken instantly. All three of the
others slowly stranged to death. At 1908
the physicians pronounced all Of them dead.
When the collins were brought to the scat
fold, Sheriff Matson exclaimed: "Hs will
be done.n The bodies were lowered in the
following order: Spies, Fischer, Engel and
Parsons All looked natural. The coffin
lids were quickly screwed down. fapef Tags
were pasted on each for Identification. En-
gels and Lingg, the suicides, remains were
taken to 2S6 Milwaukee avenue. Fischer's
wife claimed his, Mrs. Spies took Augustus
and Mrs. Parsons received that of her hus-
band.
The bodies were embalmed.
During the execution Mrs. Spies, August's
mother, sat at the table at her home, wailing
as il her heart would break. The lamenta-
tions of the household could be heard across
the street. Mrs. Engel keeps little toy and
notion shop on Milwaukee avenue She was
calm, passionless and pale There was no
excitement there, but en- ominous calm per-
vaded everything.
Mrs. Parsons was In the police station
house. Deputy johnson says that the grief
displayed by Spies family is something ter
rible to contemplate, but that the relatives
of the other men are not as visibly affected.